Our Team

Dr Rosa Solinas

General Director

Rosa trained at conservatoires and universities in Italy and in the UK. Her qualifications include an Honours Degree in Literature and Philosophy (Perugia), a Masters in Economics (Bologna) and a Doctorate in Musicology (Oxford). She took up her position with the Monteverdi Choir and Orchestras in April 2015, having previously held a range of roles in various countries and diverse institutions, including the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Wexford Festival Opera, Opera Theatre Company in Dublin, Oxford University, English National Opera, the Royal Opera House and the Teatro Comunale in Bologna. Besides music and her wonderful colleagues, Rosa loves cinema, cooking, walking, sailing, cats and her four children.

Martin Wheeler

Finance & Administration Manager

Martin has over 20 years’ experience in arts finance and administration. He joined the Monteverdi team in November 2015 having previously been Finance Manager at London’s Royal Court Theatre and having held positions in several West End theatres. Prior to moving into the arts Martin spent 6 years in investment management. He has professional qualifications in both accountancy and investment management and between 2012 and 2018 Martin was a trustee of Spread the Word, an Arts Council England NPO that operates throughout London as a writer development agency across all writing genres.

James Halliday

Artistic Advisor & Librarian

James grew up in Paris and read Music at Cambridge University. After a spell in the music library at Glyndebourne he was musical assistant to conductor Emmanuelle Haïm in France. When not with Monteverdi, James now works as a freelance musicologist, vocal coach and musical director. He is currently joint artistic director of the baroque collective Solomon’s Knot, with whom he has taken different productions to the Aldeburgh Festival. Within the Monteverdi team James takes care of the music library, and organises casting for certain projects.

Emily Parker

Artistic Operations Manager

Emily joined the Monteverdi team in June 2016. Having grown up in Yorkshire, Emily read Classics at King’s College London before working for the Britten-Pears Programme and Aldeburgh Residencies scheme in Suffolk for three years. She returned to London to work for artist management agency HarrisonParrott managing, among others, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Alison Balsom and Hélène Grimaud. Wanting a further challenge Emily transitioned within the company to the world of international orchestral touring, travelling not only to Europe but also more widely including China, Japan, Indonesia, Qatar.

Andrew Softley

Artistic Projects Manager (Choir Manager)

Andrew grew up in Oxford before studying music at the University of Manchester. After six years in orchestral management roles at the London Symphony Orchestra and London Mozart Players, Andrew joined the Monteverdi Choir and Orchestras in March 2020. When not on tour, Andrew finds pleasure in running, brewing beer and playing keyboard in a wedding band.

Matthew Knight

Partnerships & Communications Manager

Before joining the Monteverdi Choir & Orchestras, Matthew was Chairman of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Executive & Artistic Director of the internationally-acclaimed chamber group Septura. He spent 15 years working as a trombonist, serving for a decade as Co-Principal Trombone of the RPO. Having graduated with a starred first in Music from Cambridge, where he was a choral scholar at Gonville & Caius College, he undertook postgraduate study at the Royal Academy of Music (trombone) and the National Film & Television School (composing). He is a Professor at the Royal College of Music and an Associate of the RAM. A prolific arranger for brass, he was commissioned to provide the final piece of music for the Coronation in 2023.

David Kay

Philanthropy Manager

David is an experienced non-profit executive with a life-long love of classical music. He attended Princeton University where he wrote his thesis on Shostakovich’s Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, and holds a Certificate in Non-Profit Management from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. From 2005-2023 he served as CEO of Chicago’s MetroSquash – a non-profit providing educational and athletic opportunities for underserved youth. He recently moved to Paris where he enjoys attending classical music concerts and improving his intermediate level French.

Emily Denton

Tours & Concerts Assistant

Emily studied Applied Theatre at London South Bank University and graduated in 2023. She held varied positions at several theatres, including The National Theatre and Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, whilst studying. Emily worked at the Young People’s Theatre Company Theatre Centre as an Administrator and Assistant Programme and Admin Coordinator during her final two years of studying. After graduating Emily joined the Monteverdi Choir & Orchestras with the mindset of being able to rekindle her lost passion for classical music. When she’s not working Emily enjoys karaoke and going to see new-writing theatre shows.

Philip Turbett

Orchestra Fixer

Philip Turbett studied Bassoon and Clarinet at Trinity College of Music. He works regularly with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, English Baroque Soloists, Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique, Academy of Ancient Music and English Touring Opera. He has worked with many other leading orchestras including the London Philharmonic and the Philharmonia. Philip has worked with a range of distinguished conductors including Sir Simon Rattle, Sir Charles Mackerras, Sir Roger Norrington, Sir Andrew Davis, Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Sir Mark Elder, Frans Bruggen and Vladimir Jurowski.

Matthew Muller

Stage Manager

Matt studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He started his career at Hampstead Theatre, North London as ASM, DSM and finally Stage Manager. Opera work includes Scottish Opera and Diva Opera (an internationally renowned chamber opera company) where he toured Europe, the US, Middle East, Africa and Asia. He spent many years as Studio Manager on several BBC dramas with casts including Judi Dench, Ian McKellan and Ralph Feinnes as well as on music videos for artists including Coldplay and Madonna. He was also Tour Manager for Tim Minchin’s national ‘Are You Ready For This?’ tour. Matt regularly stage manages large scale business conferences in Europe and the US each year as well as looking after artists including Billy Joel, Foo Fighters, Hugh Jackman, Tom Jones and Diana Ross for private parties/events.

He joined MCO as Production Manager for the Monteverdi 450 tour in 2017 and worked on the Verdi Requiem and Berlioz concerts in 2018.